What to Pack and Wear for a Long Haul Flight
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We get asked quite often what we wear and pack for our long haul flights and there is definitely a difference in what we wear and pack compared to the shorter flights we take. Most of the time we are flying economy, so wearing something comfortable and remembering to pack the essentials for our carryon luggage is key to surviving a long haul flight.
What to Wear
It’s hard to get to that perfect temperature on flights and more often than not it’s on the chilly side for us. We dress in layers for the long haul flights and Uniqlo’s heat-tech innerwear is awesome. The fabric is revolutionary as it works with your body to generate and retain body heat and it also features anti-odor properties. It truly makes a difference and it's very affordable with a price point starting at just $14.
If we are traveling somewhere warm, we typically wear a sweatshirt. And if we are going somewhere cold we wear a sweater. The cabin air is usually at a temperature that is cool so we typically dress in layers for long flights.
Travel Scarf
Those blankets you get as part of your inflight amenity don’t provide a ton of warmth especially if you are in economy class. We always bring a travel scarf that can be used as an extra blanket.
Keeping our feet comfy and warm on long haul flights are a must. We especially like to wear something that feels like slippers so 99.9% of the time you’ll see us in our Bearpaw boots.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, anyone traveling for more than four hours is at a higher risk of developing a blood clot. It’s important to stretch those legs, but having some extra help from compression leggings doesn’t hurt either. We like to wear compression leggings from either Athleta or Spanx as their waistbands are super comfy and are dig-free. Candy really likes her Spanx Moto Leggings. Read more about it here.
SPANX MOTO LEGGINGS / AWAY SUITCASE
We ditch any bras with wires in them as they really start to get annoying on long flights. Bralettes are a great alternative and they have become increasingly popular over the years, so a variety of brands carry them these days. Spanx offers an awesome bralette called the Bra-llelujah! and it’s super comfy.
ORGANIC BASICS TENCEL LITE BRALETTE
What to Pack
Lip balm
The cabin air really takes a toll on our lips, so having lip balm is a must. Any lip balm will do, but our current favorite is Bite Beauty’s Agave Lip Balm.
Hand Lotion
Just like the lips, our hands get super dry on long haul flights. Unless you are sitting in business or first class, you won’t be handed any lotion so don’t forget to bring your own. We like L’Occitane’s hand cream and they have an array of scents to choose from.
Relaxing Lavender Oil
Not all of us enjoy the actual traveling part of travel and need a little extra help calming the nerves. If you get a little anxious about flying, try L'Occitaine's Lavender Relaxing Roll-On. Research has revealed that the essential oil of lavender can be useful in treating anxiety, insomnia, depression, and restlessness.
Medications
Luckily, we don’t have to take any prescribed medications, but we do always keep in hand Advil, Imodium, and Dramamine.
We always pack protein bars or a bag of trail mix just in case we get hungry. One time, Candy got unlucky and during the inflight meal, they ran out of chicken (yes, this can happen) and only had fish available. Candy enjoys seafood, but not airplane seafood so she ended up eating the snacks she brought instead.
Portable Charger
Most flights these days have an outlet to charge your devices, but we don’t like to take our chances so we always carry a portable charger just in case.
Extra Clothes
We like to keep an extra pair of leggings and top in our carryon bag just in case our luggage gets lost, delayed, or if we accidentally spill something on ourselves.
Hope this helps and if you need some more tips check out our post, “10 Tips on How to Prepare and Survive a Long Haul Flight”. If you need any luggage suggestions, we highly recommend the Away Suitcase. We are not sponsored by Away and just really love their luggage. Find out why we love this high-tech suitcase so much here.
Got any tips we didn’t mention? We’d love to hear your thoughts!
